This is a CRASH ESCAPE AXE used by Air Crewmen to break out of damaged aircraft. Heavy hard Rubber permanently attached handle cover with large curved blade axe head with a straight spike protruding rearward. Measures 15 1/4 inches long, with a 7 1/2 inch long head. The quarter-circle cutting head has large teeth near the top, which helped cut through metal more effectively. This style of axe was used by American bomber crews during WWII and after. This example is not dated, but is marked with U.S. Military Reference number on both sides the rubber handle: 56D6221
The handle is covered with thick rubber, intended to insulate the user from electrical shocks, and were usually rated at 20,000V or 40,000V. Getting out of the aircraft would often involve cutting through live electrical circuits, and it was also possible that the aircraft might become tangled in electrical lines. With this rubber handles, the crewmen did not need to worry about being electrocuted.
